The Mind's Arabesque
by stariskye
Summary: Bella has always imagined a different life, one that strays from her reality but as she meets beautiful and adventurous Edward Cullen, would he be able to break her from her shell or is he also a figment of her own imagination? E/B AU
1. Prologue

**The Mind's Arabesque: Prologue **

The first chords to a song began and the listener immediately became enraptured by the soft melancholic lilt of its notes. This song had always been a favorite of hers. The listener's pen paused and then continued on her train of thought. It struck her every time. Lately, she had remained in the same position every evening thinking and wishing for a suspenseful occurrence in her life. She twirled her braid between her fingertips and listened to the closing notes of her song. Nostalgia weighed her down and she remembered old times and broken promises. She shook her head. Living in the past is not going to help her in the present. She needed to concentrate on her writing. It had been far too long since she last attempted pen to paper.

She continued her last sentence and as she ended it with a period, a sharp thud against her window made her flinch. The girl questioned the reason behind it and not two seconds later, the same hard thud hit again. A cold chill ran up her spine and she couldn't decide whether to call her parents or ignore it. Her curiosity knew no bounds as she slowly slipped off of her bed and peeked behind her pale blue curtains.

Under a dim street light in the middle of the road was a figure, tall in stature. It shifted right to left, left to right looking anxious. Upon closer inspection she realized that it was the boy from across the street. The same boy with auburn locks of hair and alabaster skin. She had only seen his profile but from those brief glances, she concluded that he was beautiful. At the moment, the girl could only see his silhouette but even black against the night, he still gave her butterflies. With caution, the girl slowly slid her window open to peek her head out into the biting cold. The street was deserted, save for the boy standing below her window.

"Hey", the boy called out. His greeting echoed and she prayed that her family would not wake up. She tentatively returned a 'hello', her voice sounding small and delicate.

"Are you the one throwing rocks at my window?" the girl inquired and she immediately felt embarrassed. Of course he was, he was the only one standing outside.

"Yeah," he replied rubbing his hands together for warmth.

"Why?" The girl was confused. Before this, they had never met.

The boy shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance, "I didn't want to yell out and wake up the neighbors." She still didn't understand. How could she? This boy standing below her window seemed unreal. Days before, she had accepted the fact that any interaction with him would only occur in her dreams.

In that moment the girl felt shy. "Seems an unconventional way to start talking to someone don't you think?" she whispered.

Still, he had heard her and he grinned and laughed lightly. "You're right. If you knew me though, this wouldn't be so surprising. Unconventional is my middle name."

The boy walked closer directly beneath the dim orange light in front of her house and looked up. His eyes were twinkling with the chill from the cool night and the exhilaration from meeting someone new. The girl couldn't help but smile and she noticed that even beneath the muted lighting, his eyes were a deep shade of emerald. She cataloged it and saved that thought for later.

He continued, "I saw your light on and I figured that we were probably the only two people awake on this damned street."

"And you figured that now would be the time to make an introduction?" she speculated.

"As good as any" and he grinned again.

His smile was infectious and she smirked back. "You, sir, are nuts."

"I think nineteen is a little too young to be called sir," he pouted.

The girl forgot her feelings of trepidation and giggled, "What shall I call you then?"

His voice rang clear, "Edward."

"Well, Edward…It was nice meeting you, but I think I better head off to bed. I have to work in the morning."

"Wait!" There was a long pause and she could hear the crickets all chirping in succession. He bit his lip. "I didn't get your name."

"Bella," she replied softly.

Edward whispered her name, trying it out. "Well Bella, I have a proposition for you." She kept silent and he continued. "Would you like to accompany me to Fern Hill and watch the sunrise? I promise to behave," and he smirked a crooked grin. Her heart stopped and she held her breath. Bella stared at Edward and the longer she stared the more she realized how attracted she was to him.

And that scared her.

Exhaling, she replied, "I'm sorry but I don't go off to strange places with strange boys." She smirked delicately. "I'll take a rain check. Goodnight Edward."

He gave her a warm smile in return and nodded in understanding. As she closed her window she heard the faint sounds of his reply, "Sweet dreams stranger."

* * *

The song that gave me the inspiration for this story is Arabesque No.1 by Debussy. It truly is a beautiful song, listen to it if you get a chance :)

Review and you will get to watch the sunrise with Edward.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One:**

Bella woke up abruptly to the morning sun creeping through her sheer blue curtains. Her heart was pounding at a frightening rate, butterflies filling up her entire body but her mind was calm. This was a first. _I must have had some dream_, she thought.

And then images of a beautiful boy with jade eyes and auburn hair ransacked her brain and she couldn't let it go. It was too wonderful to put a dream like this aside. She had imagined such a meeting countless of times in her daydreams. If only she had taken his invitation…if she had, she could only imagine what would have happened next.

However, it was only a dream. Nothing like this would have ever happened in her uneventful life. Her dreams were the only way to keep her happy and with hope. With this in mind, she replayed the night's events over and over while she continued on her with morning ritual.

Brushing her teeth, Bella remembered his brilliant smile in the dark of the night and his hearty laugh that echoed through her vacant street. As she brushed her hair, she visualized his auburn locks and how the many colors glinted in the gentle glow of the streetlight. When she washed her face, she could recall how lovely and fair he was, almost like an angel sent to her from heaven above.

Dressed and ready to go with a new found excitement, she bounded down the stairs careful not to wake up her parents and headed to her monstrous red Chevy. The cool morning air and thick fog clung to her hair and face making her shiver. She couldn't see anything for miles, except for the thick green forest that surrounded the Swan household. Bella imagined herself in a snow globe and then felt a faint sense of security. No one could disturb her, they could only look on in from the outside and that gave her comfort. She only hoped that it would last the rest of the day…

* * *

During fifth period Biology, Bella sat by herself everyday in Mr. Banner's classroom. As per usual, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory snickered to one another a few rows up and she could only make out a few words, but they were enough.

"Look at her…she just screams batshit crazy."

"Batty Bella," Lauren laughed. "What is she even drawing?"

Her snow globe was cracking, and Bella prayed that she wouldn't be able to hear the rest of their conversation.

Jessica scoffed, "Probably love letters to Mike, she stares at him all the time. She should take a hint…" she paused and Bella looked up from her paper into the piercing glare of Jessica Stanley. She raised her chin and said "…that no one as crazy and deformed could _ever_ be attractive to _anyone_, let alone Mike Newton."

And that was all that was needed to shatter her illusion of comfort and security.

Whispers settled across the classroom and Bella shrunk into her seat and hid behind her hair. She could feel pin pricks behind her eyes where tears were threatening to follow. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction though. What Jessica had said had hit home and she felt her self worth drop even further. Her excitement from earlier was diminished and she counted down the minutes until she was able to go home and hide in the recesses of her room and her thoughts of a happier life.

Once the bell rang, she slowly gathered her books and waited for everyone to leave before she exited. Bella hated how her dreams could cause so much optimism and so much disappointment. Her imagination was a double edged sword and she couldn't deal with the consequences. Consequences such as Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory and the growing affection for a beautiful boy that never knew she even existed.

"Edward Cullen…" she whispered to herself as she walked down the hall and before she knew it, someone had collided into her and her books scattered across the linoleum. She bent and quickly tried to reclaim her belongings, a furious blush on her face. She could see that the person she had bumped into was also trying to help and she couldn't help but stare at their hands; white alabaster skin.

Peeking behind her thick tresses, she was face to face with a broad chest covered by a blue button down. Daring to look higher, copper locks of hair hung in the strangers face blocking her view as _he _retrieved her books from the hallway floor. Bella's heart was in her throat and she felt like she was dreaming. _Am I dreaming again?_ She thought.

With wide eyes, she waited until he managed to reclaim her belongings. After a couple of lengthy seconds, he finally looked up and Bella gasped. His skin was pale white and smooth, his lips full and pale pink, his jaw line sharp. His face was striking and perfectly proportioned. Jade eyes behind long black eyelashes were questioning and she realized that he was trying to give her back her books; the ones that he had so graciously helped her retrieve. Hesitantly accepting them, she broke her stare and felt embarrassed. Bella's blush was back full force.

With much effort she finally thanked the beautiful boy.

"Thank you so much." But it only came as a whisper.

There was silence and she looked up once again. He was smirking and his eyes were gentle. Her butterflies were relentless.

"Anytime, Bella," he muttered and his voice was velvet. _He knew my name!_

Standing up, she watched him as he walked passed her, down the hall and burned him into her memory.

* * *

Please review or let me know that I have someone reading. It gives me some incentive :)


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